Briefs – November 2005

• China Granite Corp. reported that two of its quarries in China have been reopened after being closed by the Mining Mangement office of Shangdong Province. The closure of all mines overseen by the management agency’s office in Laizhou, China, came after the deaths of 16 workers at an unauthorized site. China Granite’s operations were not involved in the accident and have been cleared by government regulation and safety agencies.
• Sound Bytes vs. Reality Dept.: Appearing on The Early Show on CBS in mid-November, Spike Carlson, executive editor of The Family Handyman, described current countertop options in the home market. He noted that Formica® or laminate is used in three-quarters of kitchen jobs today, and wood is also popular.
“If you go with granite, expect to pay $250 a square foot just for the tops,” he told the national TV audience. He also recommended “engineered stone” as a lower-cost alternative, as it was basically ground-up granite. And that there’s also solid-surface, “which have more resins. Again they have that same look, but at a lower cost.”